6 Top Stories of IFA 2012: Day Three

IFA 2012 isn't just tablets, Ultrabooks, and hybrid slate-laptops. On our third day at the popular European tech showcase, we came across Angry Birds-themed portable speakers and a medical device that reads vital signs via an iPhone. We can't lie though, traditional gadgetry was everywhere. Our list includes new Ultrabooks from Lenovo and a family of affordable Android slates from a device maker you'd never expect.

Portable Angry Birds Speakers

Those adorably self-destructive Angry Birds dominated the air, but soon they'll be taking over the airwaves, too. Everyone's favorite flying fowl will soon be sold as external speakers that cost between $24 and $34, can play audio for up to 8 hours, and are all charged in just 2 hours. To chirp out your tunes, just connect your device to the tethered 3.5mm headjack on each birds' back.

Lenovo IdeaPad U510 Hands-On

With a $679 starting price, the Lenovo IdeaPad U510 Ultrabook is a definite bargain. It packs a 15.6-inch display, Nvidia GT625M graphics, and a DVD drive into a thin, portable frame. But just like any budget notebook, you'll need to be prepared to make some sacrifices for that limbo-low cost of entry.

Maxell Android Slates Hands-On

Here's something you can't get in state-side. Maxell--yes, the folks that made VHS and cassette tapes in the 90s--are the proud manufacturers of Android tablets but only for European markets. Wandering the IFA 2012 show floor, we came across five options ranging in size from the 7-inch MaxTab E7 to the iPad-sized MaxTab H10. Our favorite is the MaxTab C8, a 8-inch, boxy slate with a full USB port for connecting thumb drives.

Tinke iPhone Health Monitor

Doctor, schmoctor. Your smartphone is the only check-up tool you need. Just check out the Tinke Health Monitor, a device that connect's to the iPhone's 10-pin port to measure blood oxygen levels, as well as breathing and heart rates. Check out our digital doctor's visit below.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y400 and Y500

If you're going to buy a multimedia notebook, you might as well spec it out. Lenovo's new IdeaPad Y Series laptops give you that power by including a swappable drive bay for extra storage space, cooling fans, or even a second GPU. On top of that the 14-inch series is configurable with up to a Core i7 Intel CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GT 655M graphics, 16GB of RAM, an SSD cache drive, and up to a 1TB hard drive.Get it how you like it, folks